2 Press: Albany man gets unusual bite at Wal-Mart

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: DAILY STAR (Hammond, Louisiana) 03 April 01 Albany man gets unusual bite at Wal-Mart (Dori Claytor) : A pygmy rattlesnake bit an Albany man's finger Monday while the man was shopping for flowers in the Wal-Mart SuperCenter Garden Center in Hammond. : Benjamin Threeton told Hammond police he was picking up a potted flower just before noon when he felt a "pinch" on his left index finger, said Lt. Sal Mike, Hammond Police public information officer. : He jerked his hand back and found a 6-inch snake attached to his finger. He flung the snake to the ground and smashed it under his shoe killing it. : Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control officer Denny Lloyd arrived and identified the snake as a pygmy rattlesnake and advised Threeton to seek medical attention. : Llyod put the snake in a plastic bag for Threeton to take with him to North Oaks Medical Center where he was treated and released. : "This has been quite an experience," Threeton said this morning. "I couldn't even sleep last night. It's a spooky ordeal." : Threeton refused to comment further saying he may seek legal advice. : "Summer is upon us, and people need to be alert for snakes when around any grassy and/or garden type environment whether indoors or outdoors," Mike said. : http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1622963&BRD=1423&PAG=461&dept_id=169546&rfi=6 : THE ADVOCATE (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) 04 April 01 Pygmy rattler bites customer at store : Hammond: A customer reported being bitten by a snake as he handled plants at a discount store, police reported Tuesday. : Animal Control officers identified the snake as a Pygmy rattlesnake and recommended that the customer go to a hospital for precautionary treatment, city police Lt. Sal Mike Jr. said. : The customer, Benjamin Threeton of Albany, said the bite of the 6-inch-long reptile didn’t penetrate his skin. : He said he was handling plants Monday at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Hammond when the snake latched onto a finger. : Threeton said he immediately shook the snake off and stomped it to death. : What happened "really didn’t set in" until after he killed the snake, Threeton said. : Pygmy rattlesnakes are venomous, but seldom grow to more than 18 inches long. : Wal-Mart officials said they were aware of the complaint and are investigating. : "We have never had a problem like this in the past," said spokeswoman Jessica Moser of the company’s corporate office. : "Providing an environment that is safe is a top priority" of the company, she said. : http://www.theadvocate.com/news/story.asp?StoryID=20480

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